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Palace downplays Ramos pitch for peaceful polls


Malacañang has brushed off a suggestion from former President Fidel Ramos to have President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo put in writing a commitment to ensure peaceful and orderly elections in May. Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said Ramos’ call has no basis because he himself never put such a commitment in writing when he was about to step down in 1998. “Ito ay di ginawa ni FVR noong siya nagtapos ng termino. Di natin maunawaan bakit bigla niya hinihingin si Pangulong Arroyo. Noong siya bumaba ng pwesto, meron ba siyang EO na pinirmahan para ipabatid na bababa na siya? Wala naman," Saludo said in an interview on dzXL radio. (Ramos never made a commitment in writing when his term was about to end, so why would he make such a demand to President Arroyo? Did he issue any executive order assuring people he will step down? He never did) He also dismissed Ramos’ advice to Mrs. Arroyo to follow the Constitution, saying President has followed it. Saludo insisted Mrs. Arroyo will effect a peaceful transition of power once her term ends on June 30. “The Constitution is there. It is the basic law that Mrs. Arroyo will follow in ensuring a peaceful transition of power. That is what is needed, not some other document," he said in Filipino. On Thursday, Ramos urged Mrs. Arroyo to lead by example and issue a written order declaring her support for honest, orderly and peaceful elections. Ramos made the statement before he flew off to Taiwan to lead a 40-man business and sports delegation. “She should put in writing that she will leave on June 30 and let the younger leaders run this government," he said. Ramos also said Mrs. Arroyo should put a stop to all the speculations of her wanting to remain in power, which he said could result in another uprising in the country. He also urged her to address the allegedly widening gap between leaders of the police and the military as a result of Mrs. Arroyo’s recent appointment of Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit as Armed Forces chief of staff. — LBG, GMANews.TV

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